Mining-machine.



H. A. KUHN & W. W. MACFARREN.

MINING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1905.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

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MINING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. 1909.

L148,974. Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

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HARRY A. KUHN AND WALTER W. MACFARREN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA;

SAID MACFARR-EN ASSIGNOR TO SAID KUHN.

MINING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915..

Application filed March 10, 1909. Serial N 0. 482,568.

To all whomz't ma concern:

Be it known t at we, HARRY A. KUHN and WALTER W. MACFARREN, citizens of'the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of our invention are to provide a machine adapted to mine the full height of the coal seam at one operation; to provide a machine adapted to mine coal without the useof explosives toprovide a machine adapted to mine the coal in comparatively small sizes suitable for coking; to provide a machine which is strong, simple, reliable and fast, and which will mine an immense quantity of soft coal, particularly in entry work, in a given time as compared with the present methods.

To these ends, our invention comprises, generally stated, a substantial frame supported on four wheels, and adapted to run on the floor of the mine. At the front end of this frame, there is provided a pair of vertical drums, each of these being provided with a large number of inserted cutters, and mechanism for driving the drums and for propelling the machine.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, party in section, of our improved machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the 7 same. Fig. 3 is a vertical-section through one of the drums; and, Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the loading device and part of the conveyer.

The frame 1 is preferably built up of structural steel plates. From the front end of the frame 1 project a,pair of plates 2 and 3. Secured to theplate 2 is bearing 4; secured to the plate 3 is bearing 5. Mounted in these bearings, is the vertical drum shaft 6. Each main drum is designated by the numeral 7 ,.and consists of three parts,the upper part 8, the middle part 9, and the lower part 10. All three of these parts are rigidly secured to the shaft 6.

' Between the upper part 8 and plate 2 there is inserted the ball thrust bearing 11, and between the middle part 9 and the bearing 5 there is inserted the ball thrust bearing 12. The upper part 8 and lower part 10 are practically duplicates of each other and are provided with inserted side cutters 13 and end cutters 14, both of which may be secured to the parts 8 and 10 by any suitable fastening device, such as wedges. The middle portion 9 of the drum is also provided with side cutters 13. In order to rotate the drums, spur gear teeth 15 are provided on the middle portion 9, forming a spur gear of large pitch formed integral with the casting 9. These gear teeth 15' are made enough shorter than ordinary gear teeth of the same pitch to allow of the insertion of the special cutters 16, which may have tapered shanks driven into tapered holes, as shown.

It will be evident from an inspection of Fig. 3 that as the drum 7 is forced into the coal, a portion of the coal will be ground up by the cutters, and the remaining portions of the coal will be cracked or shattered by the cutting action, so that practically the whole height of the coal seam may be simultaneously disintegrated.

At the central portion of the machine, we provide an electric or other suitable motor 17, having on each end of its armature shaft, spur gears 18. The spur gears 18 drive the spur gears 19, mounted uponthe shaft 20. The shaft 20 carries the right hand worm 21, and left hand worm 22, meshing with the worm wheels 23 and 24, mounted upon the shafts 25 and 26 respectively, these latter being supported in suitable hearings on the frame 1. Upon the shaft 25 is mounted the spur gear 27, meshing with and driving the teeth 15 on one of the drums 7. Upon the shaft 26 is mounted the spur gear 28, meshing with and driving the teeth 15 on the other of the drums 71*. As the worm 21 is right hand, and the worm 22 is left-hand, the end thrust due to their action is neutralized.

The front-end of the machine is supported by the truck wheels 29 mounted upon the short axles 30, which may be conveniently carried by an adjustable box 31, to permit of vertical adjustment. The spur gears 18 also drive spur gears 32 upon the shaft 33, this latter being supported in the bearings 34 secured to the frame 1. The shaft 33 carries a worm 35 meshing with worm gear 36 upon the vertical shaft 37, this latter being supported in suitable bearings on the frame '1. The shaft 37 carries a pair of worms, 38" and 38", each'of which meshes with a worm wheel 39 upon the rear axle 40 and 41. The worm 38 is right hand and ed small rollers 44, and the axles of said rollers are adapted to be adjusted horizontally by the screws 45. It is obvious that by turning the screws 45, the rollers 44 may 1 be drawn together to wedge apart the truck gear 66 upon the conveyer head shaft 67 The shafts 64 and 67 are supported by the wheels42, and thus secure a firm bite of the projections 43 into the roof and floor of the mine. The worm wheels 39 are loosely mounted upon the axles 40 and 41, and may be connected thereto at will by means of the clutches 46. The shaft 33 also carries the spur gear 47 meshing with the idler gear 48 upon a short shaft supported in the bearings 49. The idler gear 48 meshes with and drives a spur gear 50 upon the axle 41. Spur gear 50 is loosely mounted upon the axle 41, and may be connected at will thereto by jaw clutch 51.

The coal, after being loosened and cut away by the cutters on the drum 7, falls to the bottom of the cut at 52, at which point it will pile up to a certain extent. This pile will be continually pushed toward the rear of the machine by the action of the revolving cutters. As this coal is more orless finely subdivided, it may be readily picked up from the floor 52 by the loader shown in Fig. 4.

A pair of plates 53 are secured to the frame 1. Mounted between these plates is the stationary shaft 54, upon which is mounted the rotary loader 55. This consists of a pair of circular end blades 56, between which are fastened the wings orflights 57, these latter being provided with the angles' 58, which are adapted to engage the coal in the same manner as a shovel. The coal is thus carried around on the flights 57 and slides off the smooth surface 59 onto the apron conveyer 60, which latter may be of any desired construction. The apron conveyer 60 is driven by thesprocket 61 upon the shaft'33. This sprocket drives a chain 62, which in turn drives a sprocket 63 upon the shaft 64. The spur gear 65 also mounted upon the shaft 64, drives a second spur plates 53. From the shaft 67, power is transmitted to the tail shaft 68 by means of the conveyer 60. The shaft 68 carries a sprocket 69, which drives a chain 70, which in turn drives a sprocket 71 secured to the rotary loader 55.

By the above described means, the coal is picked up and delivered to the rear of the into the coal, cutters on substantial machine, which 'is adapted to tear loose a great quantity of coal for the full height of the coal seam, and to make an entry of convenient width, the cutters providing clearance for the machine, and a path on which it may run.

Inthe operation of our improved machine, it is only necessary to adjust the rear truck wheels 42 until they bite into the roof and floor of the mine, to throw 'in the clutches 46 to transmit power to said truck wheels, and to start the motor 17, after which the entire operation of the machine is automatic, as long as the direction of the coal seam remains constant. The coal is delivered in a continuous stream from the rear of the machine, and in enormous quantities as compared with any of the present methods of mining.

The word drums as used herein means a substantially cylindrical body of a considerable height as distinguished from a flat circular body or saw. It is our intention to make these drums of a height (over the cutters) equal to the thickness. of coal to be mined, but asconditions may arise which would render a less height desirable, we do not wish to'be limited to this precise construction. The drums used on our improved machine may be made in one piece, or they may be built u in any desired manner-to give facility in andling or economy in manufacture.

It is evident that various modifications and changes in the design, construction, and operation of our improved machine may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention, and we therefore desire to claim and holdas ours all the patentable subject matter covered by the following claims: 7

1. Ina mining machine, a frame, a plu rality of vertical drums carried thereby at 3 the front thereof, the combined Width and height of said drums being greater than the frame, whereby said drums cut clearance for the following arts of the machine and the machine can e continuously fed into the coal, cutters on said drums and means for driving the drums.

2, In a miningmachine, a frame, a pairv of vertical drums carried thereby at the front thereof, the height of said drums being greater than-the height of the frame, and the combined width of said drums being greater than the width of the frame whereby the machine may be continuously advanced said drums, and means for driving the drums.

3. In a mining machine, a frame, a pair of vertical drums carried thereby at the front end thereof, said drums having a combined projected area greater than the frame, and means for rotating said drums in opposit directions.

4. In a mining machine, a frame, a pair of vertical drums carried thereby at the front end thereof, said drums having a combined projected area greater than the frame, and ,cutters on said drums, and means for rotating said drums with their contiguous surfaces approaching the frame.

5. In a mining machine, a frame, a pair of drums carried thereby, cutters rigidly attached to said drums, spur gear teeth on each drum, apair of spur gears in mesh with engaging the peripheries of said wheels, to

vary the distance between them, and screws for actuating said rollers to make the above adjustment.

' HARRY A. KUHN.

WALTER W. MAOFARREN. Witnesses:

ESTELLE M. JoHNsoN, CHAS. FOXTERMAN. 

